39
UJosefa LomkaPhothifa
1 UJosefa wathathwa wasiwa eGibhithe. UPhothifa, owayengomunye wezikhulu zikaFaro, eyindunankulu yabalindi, wamthenga kuma-Ishumayeli abayibo abamletha khona.
2 UThixo wayelaye uJosefa, waphumelela, wahlala endlini yenkosi yakhe umGibhithe. 3 Kwathi inkosi yakhe ikubona ukuthi uThixo wayelaye lokuthi uThixo wamphumelelisa kukho konke ayekwenza, 4 uJosefa wasethandeka kuye wasesiba yinceku yakhe. UPhothifa wasembeka ukuba ngumphathi womuzi wakhe, kwathi konke ayelakho wakubeka ezandleni zakhe. 5 Kusukela ngesikhathi embeka ukuba ngumphathi womuzi wakhe lakho konke okwakungokwakhe, uThixo wawubusisa umuzi womGibhithe ngenxa kaJosefa. Isibusiso sikaThixo saba phezu kwakho konke uPhothifa ayelakho, loba kusendlini loba kusensimini. 6 Ngakho watshiya konke okwakhe ezandleni zikaJosefa; kwathi ngoba uJosefa enguye ophetheyo wakhohlwa ngakho konke ngaphandle kokudla ayekudla.
UJosefa lo wayemi kuhle, ebukeka, 7 kwasekusithi ngemva kwesikhathi inkosikazi yenkosi yakhe yambuka, yamfisa uJosefa yathi, “Woza engutsheni lami!”
8 Kodwa wala. Wamtshela wathi, “Njengoba kuyimi engiphetheyo, inkosi yami kayizihluphi ngalutho emzini wayo; yonke into elayo iyibeke ezandleni zami. 9 Kakho omkhulu kulami kulumuzi. Inkosi yami kayingalisi lutho ngaphandle kwakho, ngoba wena ungumkayo. Pho ngingayenza kanjani into embi kanje, ngenze isono kuNkulunkulu na?” 10 Kwathi loba emphikelela uJosefa insuku ngensuku, wala ukulala laye wala lokuthi ahlale laye.
11 Ngolunye usuku wangena endlini ukuqhuba umsebenzi wakhe, izisebenzi zasendlini zingekho phakathi endlini. 12 UmkaPhothifa wambamba ngesigqoko wathi, “Woza engutsheni ulale lami!” Kodwa waphunyuka wabaleka waphuma endlini, isigqoko sakhe sasala esandleni sowesifazane.
13 Kwathi ebona ukuthi utshiye isigqoko sakhe esandleni sakhe njalo wabaleka endlini, 14 owesifazane wamemeza izisebenzi zendlini wathi kuzo, “Khangelani, umHebheru lo walethwa lapha ukuzadlala ngathi! Ungene lapha efuna ukulala lami, kodwa ngahlaba umkhosi. 15 Uthe esizwa ngihlaba umkhosi ngidinga uncedo, wasetshiya isigqoko sakhe eceleni kwami wabaleka waphuma endlini.”
16 Wasigcina isigqoko eceleni kwakhe inkosi kaJosefa yaze yabuya ngekhaya. 17 Waseyitshela indaba le wathi: “Isigqili somHebheru lesiyana owasilethela sona sifikile kimi ukuzadlala ngami. 18 Kodwa ngonele ukuthi ngihlabe umkhosi ngidinga uncedo, satshiya isigqoko saso eceleni kwami sabaleka saphuma endlini.”
19 Kwathi inkosi yakhe isizwile indaba eyayitshelwa ngumfazi esithi, “Singenze njalo isigqili sakho,” yathukuthela kakhulu. 20 Inkosi yakhe uJosefa yamthatha yamphosela entolongweni, indawo lapho okwakuvalelwa khona izibotshwa zenkosi.
Kodwa kwathi uJosefa ekhonapho entolongweni, 21 uThixo waba laye; wamenzela umusa wamenza wathandeka emehlweni omphathijele. 22 Ngakho-ke umphathijele wamkhweza wamenza umphathi wabo bonke ababebotshiwe besentolongweni, njalo kwaba nguye okhangele konke okwakusenziwa khona. 23 Umphathijele kazange azihluphe loba ngani eyayiphethwe nguJosefa ngoba uThixo wayelaye uJosefa, wamupha impumelelo kukho konke ayekwenza.